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The Castle of Otrano- The Gothic Tradition
The first horror novel is written by Horis Walpole. The novel named 'The Castle of Otrano' was the first novel to be filled with supernatural shocks and events, later developing into the horror genre. -
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Horror Films
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Frankenstein
Frankenstein is one of the best known horror novels of its time. Written by Mary Shelly in 1818 it features a creature produced by an unorthodox scientific experiment. -
The First Stage Perfromance Of Frankenstien
The first stage performance of Mary Shelleys' Frankenstien was adapted by playwright Henry M.Milner. The play named ' The Man and the Monster' or ' The Fate of Frankienstien' was first shown in the 'Royal Coburg Theatre'. It was Henry Milner who first wrote the famous line ' It Lives!' this line later becoming iconic in horror film history. -
First Horror Film Released
It is disputed by many which horror film was actually made 'first'. Some believe that that Thomas Edison produced the first horror film named 'The Exercution of Mary Stuart' which featured a woman being beheaded. The film was only 18 seconds in length.
However the french film 'Le Manoir du diable' produced by Georges Melies is also thought to be the first horror film. The 'Le Manoir du diable' translated as 'The house of the devil' was 1-2 minutes in length and featured 'ghosts' and 'demons'. -
First Full Length Horror- Frankenstein
The first Frankenstien film was produced by 'Edison Studios' and directed by J.Searle Dawley. -
Nosferatu
Nosferatu is a classic 1922 German Expressionist horror film, directed by F. W. Murnau, starring Max Schreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film, shot in 1921 and released in 1922, was an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Nosferatu is the first best known film for its use of sucessfull mise-en-scene.It used dramatic lighting and shadows to make the scenes appear darker and spookier. This use of mise-en-scene mould the conventions of a horror film for the future. -
Horror films with sound
The 1930's marked the end of the 'silent' era for horror films. Horror films of this era were still based on classic novels, but the characters changed slightly. Unlike the 1920's horror era featuring silent ghosts or masks as a symbol of terror, the monsters in 1930's horror films could now growl, moan and scream, adding a new dimention to horror films, and changing the cinema experience. -
Hammer film productions create 'Hammer horror' films
Hammer film productions is film prodcution company based in the United Kingdom. During its most successful period Hammer films dominated the 'horror film' market by converging with the Amercian conglomerate- Warner Bros. Hammer film productions continued to dominate the horror film industry by releasing 'Dracula' in 1958. Dracula was a sucess, breaking box office records in the United Kingdom and America. The sucess was thought to be due to Hammer films use of technicolour. -
Psycho
Psycho is a 1960's horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Psycho is often ranked on of the most iconic horror films of all time as it is famous for bringing in a new level of acceptable violence and sexuality in filmaking. The scenes of this movie are also iconic of the horror genre, with the 'shower stabbing' scene becoming one of the most iconic and remembered film scene of all time. -
The Exorcist
The Exorcist was one of the most iconic films of the 1970's horror film industry. It was voted the 'scariest horror film of all time' by total film magazine in 1999. The Exorcist is thought to be a huge success because of its use of special effects which were created mechanically on set rather than in post production. -
Final Destination
The start of the 2000's was a quiet period for the Horror genre. Final Destination marked a successful revival of teen-centered horror and inpired five sequels. -
Saw
Saw is a 2004 american horror movie directed by james wan. Saw is said to be the most successfull and profitable horror film since 'scream' in 1996. During the production of Saw, Evolution entertainment formed a horror genre production label named 'twisted pictures'. -
Paranormal Activity
Paranormal activity is widely inspired by earlier horror film 'the Blair Witch Project' for its 'home footage' style filming. Paranormal activity is a low budget film filming with mainly handheld cameras. Paranormal activity had a $15,000 budget and profited $193,355,800 in the box office. -
My bloody valentine 3D
My bloody valentine was the first R-rated amercian film to be projected in Real D technology and to have a wide release (1,000) locations in 3D enabled theatres.
